Category: General

Growing grains in permaculture is often looked down upon as a symbol of unsustainable farming practices. Indeed, the annual tillage of the soil to grow monocultures of one type of grain that needs a heavy dose of pesticides and chemical fertilizers has caused an untold amount of damage to the topsoil and to farm ecosystems over the years. However, indigenous communities and small peasant families around the world have been […]

Australia committed to stopping the practice of burning trash as a means to get rid of its garbage back in the mid-1900’s. Since then, the majority of waste has been ending up in Australian landfills; both regulated and unregulated. It’s estimated that there are 600 registered landfills in the country with as many as 2,000 small, private, and non-registered landfills. About 40% of Australian waste ends up in these plots […]

“Imagine you’re asked to invent something new,” begins a recent TED-Ed lesson by advertising account manager Brandon Rodriguez. “It could be whatever you want, made from anything you choose, in any shape or size.” While having the freedom to explore your imagination to come up with an invention of your choice might seem liberating, Rodriguez said most people are, in fact, paralyzed when faced with such a challenge. Without any […]

There is nothing nicer than coming inside on a hot, muggy summer day to feel the freshness of an air-conditioned home. Traditional air conditioners, however, are one of the most energy-intensive appliances in our homes. Only a couple feet underneath where you are standing, however, the air is always a comfortable 55 degrees Fahrenheit. If only it were possible to get that cool air from underneath your feet into your […]

There are growing environmental challenges and people are increasingly aware of the environment. This awareness has extended to social issues faced around the world. Businesses within farming supply chains are concerned about these issues – they have to ensure that they are addressed within their operations to gain a competitive advantage. Customers are asking critical questions about the social and environmental credentials of the food they eat. Customers want to […]

Recycling cardboard and plastic material is not as easy as it may seem. Some forms of the material are recyclable, while others are not. Thinking that all these components have the ability to be recycled is a common misconception and ends with trash wrongfully ending up in recycling bins. For example, the plastic bags you’re given at the grocery store are non-recyclable; along with cling wrap, foam trays, some hot […]

As we struggle to find ways to deal with the excess amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere, much attention has been given to high-tech solutions and cutting fossil fuel use. While these are good and worthy discussions to have, carbon farming offers an opportunity to revolutionize the agricultural sector to improve soil and store excess atmospheric carbon where it belongs: in the ground. Can We Store Carbon in the […]

Permaculture, as a design lens, can be looked through to apply to all manner of things. Whether it is a piece of land or a social structure at your place of work, your child’s education or your own personal finances, there are ways you can utilise permaculture to help you with your organisation of a diverse range of activities. After all, permaculture is holistic so it makes sense that you […]

People are always really excited about the idea of an alternative energy dishwasher, and why wouldn’t they be? Washing dishes is by far one of the most loathed chores that has to be done around the house. Luckily, more and more electric-free dishwasher designs seem to be popping up all over the place. Available models include the Circo Dishwasher that washes all of your dishes while only taking up a […]

You’ve finally made the commitment to a zero-waste lifestyle but you’re facing a few dilemmas. Your house is filled with plastic bins for your kid’s off-season clothing, containers for your cereal, and plastic soap pumps in every bathroom. What do you do with all the plastic you previously put to use? While you may think you have to immediately recycle all your plastic products and replace them with their non-plastic, […]

When people start picturing washing their clothes without electricity they imagine of bringing their clothes down to the river or creek start popping up in their mind, taking out the washboard, and vigorously scrubbing their clothes until they are clean. It sounds time-consuming, tiring, and just down right awful. Luckily it doesn’t have to be that way anymore, there are plenty of washing machines on the market now that do […]

Urban sprawl is another name for suburbanization or suburban sprawl. It is basically the movement of human population from densely populated metropolitan urban towns and cities to low density, monofunctional and car dependent communities. This kind of movement results in encroachment of farmlands, the geographic expansion and spreading of a town or a city, eating up the biodiversity and threatening the earth’s sustainability. Migration and urban sprawl is not something […]